New York Central Streamlined Hudson

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JBodenmann
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Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Thank you Steamhead and Dave for the most generous compliments. I am glad to hear you have been enjoying my photos and line of baloney. So here is a bit of an update on the Streamliner. This has been a most enjoyable project. As most of you know the New York Central Hudsons, especially the J1es are my all time favorite engine. In this top photo we have a start on the roof ribs. To me, it's easier to make curved angle than to try to curve straight angle. I had an old form tool that was close to the correct shape so it was modified a bit. A trimmed piece of sheet metal is clamped between the formers and the outer edge is whomped over with our old friend the rawhide mallet. Then it is removed from the form tool and the inside edge is trimmed with the bandsaw, easy peasy! In the second photo a couple of the ribs are clamped to the cab sides and the pieces for the cab front are being mocked up in card stock. Card stock is cheap and easy to work with. Once the card stock bits are looking good the shapes are transferred to the sheet metal and cut out. The bottom photo shows the sheet metal pieces taped in place. There will be a lot of jumping around on this engine as everything ties together unlike with a more conventional locomotive. The cab, cab roof, running boards, skirting, and the skyline casing all work together. It's real easy to build yourself into a corner!
Attachments
Cab1.jpg
Cab2.jpg
Cab3.jpg
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JBodenmann
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by JBodenmann »

Here is a little more. The skyline casing fits over a gaggle of bulkheads. In this top photo the front and rear bulkheads are in position and a string line is being used to locate the outer edges of the other bulkheads. A long straightedge was used to locate the tops of the bulkheads. The second photo shows most of the bulkheads in place. Now the fiddly bit starts, making the skin for the skyline casing. The top is curved, then there is a radius between the top and angled sides, and another radius on each side where the sides curve to meet the boiler jacket. The skyline casing is also tapered, narrow at the front, and wide at the back. It also has to fit over the straight and tapered sections of the boiler jacket. The skyline casing is dead level from the front of the engine to just behind the steam dome, from there it angles downward towards the cab roof which follows the downward angle to the rear of the roof. A delightful little puzzle...!? Probably a few parts for the scrap box in my future!
No shortage of things to do!
Jack
Attachments
Sktline1.jpg
Skyline2.jpg
Steam Engine Dan
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by Steam Engine Dan »

absolute beautiful work jack, as a Hudson enthusiast. that is awesome work.
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JBodenmann
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Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
First off thank you Steam Engine Dan, The New York Central Hudson is my favorite engine. Here is an update. In the first photo we have a sheet of #26 gauge steel trimmed to shape with some scribbles on it. In the second photo you can see that it has had a ride in the slip roll to give the center bit the correct curvature. Setting at the far end is one of the bulk heads. It was used to check the curvature, and also to mark out for the downward curves which were done in the box brake with a radius die. In the third photo one edge has been bent and now the bulkhead is being used to check the location of the second bend. These bends are really fiddly, but can be adjusted, as they are curves and not sharp bends. Sharp bends leave a crease, and once you bend.. you are committed. But a radius like we have here can be adjusted. You can straighten one edge of the curve, and curve the other more, to move the bend around to a limited degree. This is still a very fussy job. And the bottom photo shows a mostly formed section of the skyline casing. The lip at the bottom edge can be fiddled with, until it fits over the bulkhead, and down nicely to the boiler jacket. When this is all good it will have the bottom edge trimmed.
Attachments
Casing1.jpg
Casing2.jpg
Casing3.jpg
Casing4.jpg
Last edited by JBodenmann on Sat Feb 27, 2016 10:33 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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JBodenmann
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by JBodenmann »

Here is a bit more. This top photo is of one of the brackets that the skyline casing hold down straps tighten against. The second, one of the hold down straps, the tightening bolt, and bracket shown in the previous photo. Last two photos, the partially completed skyline casing. The very front part of the casing will be the most interesting. It's open at the front with vertical ribs, and the upper edge comes to a point and has a compound curved edge hanging down. Some sort of form die will have to be made. A delightful little puzzle? Too much fun!
Jack
Attachments
Casing5.jpg
Casing6.jpg
Casing7.jpg
Casing8.jpg
Last edited by JBodenmann on Wed Mar 23, 2016 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Love4Steam
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by Love4Steam »

Beautiful work Jack. We look forward to each and every post. Keep them comming!

Doug Maywald
Asteamhead
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by Asteamhead »

Hallo Jack,
It's looking like quite an easy job as you desribe your work! But we modelers out here worked for hours and hours trying to do the same somtimes. No straight edges but different radius' everywhere one looks at.
Your NYC Hudson will look as fine as the prototype did when new on the rails, congratulations!
Asteamhead
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JBodenmann
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
First off, a thank you to Doug and Asteamhead for the compliments, I greatly appreciate them. Now some snappies of what I have been up to. Here are some shots of the skyline casing. This part of the engine had me a bit concerned as to how difficult it was going to be. It is narrow at the front and gets wider at the back. The top surface is curved with a 3/4" radius at the outer edges and then angles downward nearly vertical to another smaller radius where it meets the boiler jacket. The top of the casing runs dead level from the front of the engine until just behind the steam dome where it slants down slightly, this slope continues to the back of the cab roof. This whole mess fits down on a boiler and smoke box that is both tapered and straight. Although making the casing was quite a fiddle, you know, put it together, take it apart, put it together….it wasn't near as difficult as I feared it might be. The fiddliest bit was the very front skyline casing piece. Forming the lip that hangs down and wraps around the vertical louvres was a bit of a challenge. At first I made a wood die, but it just wouldn't do the trick. So I made a steel form tool and massaged it with our old friend the rawhide mallet. Put it together, take it apart, am I repeating myself. The bottom photo shows the low water alarm casing with its assortment of tiny louvres and such. Also the safety valve opening in the casing, (no safety valves yet) and the whistle recess and whistle. I just love making little baloney like this.
See you in the funny pages..
Jack
Attachments
Nose100.jpg
Nose&Casing.jpg
AlarmCasing1.jpg
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NP317
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by NP317 »

Really inspirational detail work!
Thanks for sharing.
~RN
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JBodenmann
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Here is a bit of an update on the Hudson, the cab windows. The top photo shows some .090" brass rough cut with the band saw. These .090" pieces will be the outer side of the windows and the inner side will be .030". These pieces of brass must be carefully sized so that the openings and the holes for the little screws will line up and that is what is being done in photo number two. After all pieces are sized the openings are cut as in photo three. I used to do this without a digital read out! Heavens to Betsy, I would hate to have to do that today. The last photo shows the recess for the glass being cut. When cutting brass always use a fresh end mill.
Attachments
Windows1.jpg
Windows2.jpg
Windows3.jpg
Windows4.jpg
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JBodenmann
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Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by JBodenmann »

Here is some more. Top photo, the locations for the screws are being spotted with a tiny center drill. This is most necessary as a normal drill will wander too much. After they were spotted the holes were drilled with a small drill press. Second photo, after cutting the .060" glass to size the corners must be rounded. This is just done by hand with some #220 grit sand paper. The third photo shows the glass, and the drilled and tapped outer frame on the left. This is the .090" brass and is not drilled through. The holes are tapped #00-90. The frame on the right is the inner frame and is clear drilled and countersunk for the #00-90 x 3/32" flat head brass machine screws that will hold the whole mess together. And the bottom photo shows our little gaggle of cab windows. Notice the two at the lower right. No screws showing, there is just enough thickness to get away with this, and if the glass ever breaks you can take the window apart and replace it. Easy peasy.
See you in the funny pages..
Jack
Attachments
Windows5.jpg
Windows6.jpg
Windows7.jpg
Windows8.jpg
Asteamhead
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Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 1:59 pm
Location: Germany, Duesseldorf

Re: New York Central Streamlined Hudson

Post by Asteamhead »

Hello Jack,
Did a similar job by using laser cuts made of stainless .02 sheets. But watching your very precise brass work it's time to reconsider! There are so many different ways to do such a job by talented persons.
Thank you again for posting!
Asteamhead
Attachments
Cab windows made of lasered parts.<br />Copper rivets held together iner and outer frames including window glass.
Cab windows made of lasered parts.
Copper rivets held together iner and outer frames including window glass.
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